How does water quality testing make use of environmental microbiology?
What will be an ideal response?
Information gained through the study of environmental microbiology has been utilized to identify many of the fecal coliforms and their biological traits and to develop methods to identify whether they are contaminating our water supplies. A simple method is to filter water through a fine membrane and then place the filter on EMB agar. Growth of fecal coliforms will produce a metallic green sheen. The colonies are counted, and the number is used to calculate the degree of contamination. Another method is to add a water sample to small bottles containing MUG and ONPG and look for evidence of fecal coliform growth indicated by the resulting color changes. This latter method is more rapid; however, it indicates only that these microorganisms are present, but does not provide information regarding the actual number of bacteria present.
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Natural selection is limited in its effectiveness in preserving new favorable mutations in an environment that
Which of the following mechanisms is NOT as likely to disperse seeds at a great distance from the parent plant?
A. Seeds are dispersed as projectiles from the parent plant. B. Seeds eaten with fruit by animals are dropped with the animals' feces. C. Squirrels bury seeds and nuts for future use. D. Coconuts are carried by ocean currents. E. Hooks and spines attach the seed to animal fur or human clothing.
Sensations of fear, pleasure, and sexual arousal are produced by the
A) reticular formation. B) medulla. C) hypothalamus. D) cerebral cortex. E) amygdala.
Microaerophiles are microbes that grow best at low
A) carbon dioxide levels. B) pH values. C) hydrostatic pressure. D) oxygen levels. E) salt concentrations.